In a recent survey by Pew Research, close to 8 in 10 Americans believe that prescription drug prices are unreasonable, and many would support legislation to lower them. But what determines the cost of prescription drugs in the first place, and how much do Americans really pay for these medications? Here's what Pew found.
In 2016, Americans spent $3 Trillion on personal health care, and $477 billion on retail prescription drugs in 2016. The pay out accounts for 17 percent of total personal health expenditures like patient's health care, physician services, prescription, and more.